Starting and Running Your Own Martial Arts School. Karen Levitz Vactor

willingness to make improvements to your space yourself. The landlord will expect to make certain improvements to the space before you move in. If you are willing to move into the space as is, to make the TIs (“tenant improvements”) yourself, you can trade the cost of the improvements for rent-free time or a reduction in your monthly rent. Conversely, if you don’t have a contractor’s resources, if you want the landlord to help you make the space ready to do business, you may have to begin paying full rent immediately. Or you and your landlord may be able to find some specific middle ground.

      The art involved in playing the tradeoff game is that the landlord typically won’t tell you up front how much he has budgeted to make improvements. Negotiation becomes a little like playing poker without knowing how many chips you have in front of you. Go ahead and guess a little (but not outrageously) high. Your landlord will have no problem telling you if you are unrealistic.

      A general principle: bargain in good faith. Don’t ask for the moon. Don’t ask for a lot of things you don’t want, expecting to use them later as bargaining chips. Go ahead and ask for everything you want. But expect to make concessions to keep the deal fair for both you and your landlord. Be reasonable, but don’t settle for anything less than what you need.

      Remember, your goal is to negotiate the best deal you can with your landlord. It is not to beat the landlord into the ground. This is negotiation, a controlled sparring match, not war. Your goal is to establish a fair, equitable long-term relationship between you and the person who owns the building you will be working in for several years to come. Be good to your landlord. Be assertive, but treat the landlord fairly during negotiations. Then, after you move in, be the landlord’s eyes and ears on site. Watch out for the landlord’s interests, and he may do the same for you.

      Plateau-Level Bargaining